Improvement in telegraphic machines



Telegraphic-Relay Instrument.

Patented May 15, 1860.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEDEDIAH YVEISS, 0F BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO HIMSELF ANDCHAS. BRODHEAD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN TELEGRAPHIC MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,334, dated To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J EDEDIAH WEIss, of the boroughofBet-hlehem,countyofNorthampton, and StateofPennsylv-ania, haveinventeda new and useful machine for bringing telegraphic stations in adjustmentwith other stations when an existing adjustment has been destroyed by achange in the electric current or from some other cause.

Thisinvention is designed to meeta difficulty experienced by telegraphicoperators when they get out ofadj ustmentwith one or more stations byreason of a change in the electric current produced by a change in theatmosphere or other cause. An operator may be called from anotherstation, yet he will not hear the call if his instrument is not inadjustment, unless he be directly at the instrument, and by consequencehe has to be constantly running the circuit by opening and closing thespring, which is spiral or nearly circular, as in the drawings andmodel, (or sometimes an elastic substance is used, and to any of whichthis invention is adapted,) and connected bya string or wire with thearmature of the relay-magnet, to ascertain whether he is not beingcalled by some other operator from a station with which he is not inadjustment.

This inventionwill enable the operator to be in anypart of his room andattending to any other business and hear a call from any and allstations on the line in a longer or shorter period of time, as theclock-work may be so regulated as to run the circuit in any desiredtime. The model herewith submitted runs the entire circuit and bringsevery station in adjustment for a short time, in the period of sixminutes, then springs back and goes over the circuit again. This by wayof explanation ofthe practical uses of the machine.

The nature of my invention consists in the application of commonclock-work (with additions as hereinafter described) to the expansionand contraction of the springs or elastic substance commonly used bytelegraphic operators for the purpose of adjustment with other stationsand I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, refer- May15, 1860.

once being had to the annexed drawings, making part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 represents the rear side of themachine. Fig. 2 represents the ordinary relaymagnet used intelegraphing; Fig. 3, a front view of Fig. 1, and Fig. a the springordinarily used.

A A in Fig. 1 represents a lever working on a pivot, 13. This lever hasa sliding extension to lengthen or shorten the circuit. At E on saidlever a string or wire, F F F, connects thelever with the spring G, Fig.4, and thence withN Nat the point H, N N representing the armature ofthe relay-magnet.

G O C represents an eccentric revolving on an axis, D, which point D isthe extremity of the axis of the wheel S in Figs. 1. and 3, and theother extremity of which is a brass knob, K, in Fig. 3.

O O in Fig. 3 represents a lever working on a pivot, P, and restinglightly on the axis of the wheel S and nearly touching the axis ofanother wheel at R.

L in Fig. 1 represents a roller attached to the lever A A, and againstwhich roller the eccentric works when the machine is in motion.

K, a brass knob, is the extremity of the axis of the wheel S in Fig. 3,and is wedge-shaped where the lever O O rests upon it, and is soconstructed as to move back and forth for the eighth of an inch withoutaffecting the wheel S or the eccentric. TVhen this brass knob isrevolved by hand it carries the axis of S and the eccentric around withit. The clock-work is wound up at T in Fig. 3.

The operation of the machine is as follows: When the clock-work is setin motion we will suppose the spring G to be closed. By the revolutionof the wheel S the eccentric C O G is revolved against the roller L onthe lever A A, moving said lever with it, and as the leyer moves, itbeing connected with the spring G and thence with the armature of therelaymagnet at H, it gradually opens the spring to the extent which thesize of the eccentric and the size of the spring may require. (Thisspring will be regulated in size and stifiness by operators to suittheir own views, being so arranged that the circuit will be gone overwhen the spring has so far expanded as to let the roller L pass over theend of the eccentric.) When the eccentric has passed under the roller Lof the lever A A, the circuit has been gone over, and the strength ofthe spring G immediately brings the lever A A back to a nearlyperpendicular position, when the eccentric at its axis D again comes incontact with the roller L on the leverAA and runs the circuit overagain, as before. During this circuit a call from any station on theline can be distinctly heard for a period of time snfficient to informany other operator whether he was called, it being supposed that if thisinstrument were introduced each operator would continue calling astation for the period which the machine used would require to bringeach and every station in adjustment. When a station hears that he iscalled he goes quickly to his instrument, presses the brass knob K inFig. 3 inward. Its wedge shape raises the one end of the lever O O anddepresses the other end upon B, the axis ot'another wheel, whichpressure immediately stops the clock-work, leaving his station inadjustment and his instrument ready to receive the message for which hehas been called.

If the clock-work should have carried the station out of adjustmentafter he heard the call and before he was able to stop it, he has onlyto turn the knob K slightly back until he comes in adjustment, which isdone in an instant. This is readily accomplished when the works arestopped, as the axis of the wheel S can be moved by turning the knob K,thus opening or closing the spring without interfering with theclock-work, if in motion, or without moving the clock-work when stopped,if the knob K is tightly pressed in, so as to press the lever O O on thewheel at B.

When the message is received the operator has only to draw back the knobK, which relieves the axis R from the pressure of the lever O O and theinstrument again commences running the circuit, to beagain manipulatedas above when the station is again called.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The application of clock-work to the drawing out and letting back of thespiral spring, circular spring, or elastic substance (commonly used foradjusting the telegraphic circuit) by combining with the clock-work theeccentric O O G, the lever A A, and roller L, the movable axis to thewheel S, the sliding wedgeshaped knob K, and the lever O O in the mannerand with the effect set forth particularly in the foregoingspecification and the annexed drawings.

JEDEDIAH WEISS.

Witnesses:

JAMES P. BoRHEK, REUBEN 0. LENKENBAOH.

